Beauty Q&A: What’s the Best Way to Apply Powder?

Applying powder is probably one of the most important steps in your makeup routine, but it can most often be the most complex, depending on what kind of brush or blender you like to use. To get to the bottom of what the best tools are to apply different types of powder, we asked our M Crowd influencers to weigh in — and here’s what they had to say.

Ashley Hall

“I like using big fluffy brushes for powder, but it honestly depends on what I’m using powder for. When I bake, I use my beautyblender, and to dust it away I use a big fluffy brush. I always say, the softer the brush, the better! I love kabuki brushes for liquid foundation and cream contour. They’re usually really dense and help to soften lines and blend product easily. I like fan brushes for highlighting, but I really like a lot of highlight, so I opt for brushes that are more dense and hold a lot of powder product at once.”

Lonyea Maiden

“My favorite brush to use for powder is a large powder brush to apply powder, and I roll it on in rolling motions.”

Julia Salvia

“I actually like to use a dry Beauty Blender for under my eyes and in the T-zone. It makes the face application look so much more smooth.”

Miranda Mendelson

“I like large and loose, flexible brushes for powder as I typically only use setting powders in my makeup routine. Flexible and soft bristles let me evenly dust product over the entire face. My must-have brush in any collection is a blending brush for eyeshadow. Something fluffy but with a pointed tip to help you work product into your crease and blend softly. Work in small circular motions to diffuse the edges for a soft gradient.”

Madison Murrell

“For powder, I like to use a Beauty Blender. I like to press the powder into the skin, not mix it around which will cause my liquid foundation to move. For highlighter I will use a fan brush to dust the product on.”